When installing wall-to-wall carpeting in commercial or residential applications, carpet is rarely cut to the exact dimensions needed. Therefore, carpet installers must stretch portions of carpet to assure an exact and smooth fit. One of the most popular tools for this application is a carpet kicker. Carpet kickers are typically constructed from an elongated rod having a head with a plurality of downwardly extending carpet gripping members at one end and a kneepad at the other. Carpet installers using this device must get down on their hands and knees, use the carpet gripping head of the kicker to engage the carpet close to the edge to be stretched, and then kick the knee pad using a knee, thus stretching the carpet. The edge of the carpet is then pressed down onto the tack strip, which secures the stretched carpet in place. Even if the installer is wearing pads, this action traumatizes the attachment of the quadriceps muscle to the top of the kneecap and is the source of many hip and spinal cord injuries. As a result, a number of less physically demanding carpet kickers have been introduced into the market to prevent carpet installation related injuries.
A number of patents have been directed to carpet kickers and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,225 discloses a carpet stretcher assembly is provided having a retractable carpet engaging head that can be pneumatically driven by a cylinder assembly. The carpet engaging head is connected to the pneumatic cylinder assembly by a flexible connection whereby the carpet engaging head can automatically be moved to an elevated position relative to a carpet being stretched when the pneumatic cylinder assembly retracts it.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,446 discloses a hand-held pneumatic carpet stretcher powered by an associated air compressor, or other source of compressed air, is used to eliminate wrinkles during the installation of wall-to-wall carpet. The carpet stretcher comprises a gripper plate, pile teeth, an air valve controlled by a button, and two pneumatic cylinders acting in conjunction with two piston rods connected to each other by a piston rod connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,311 discloses a carpet stretcher device comprising a body case having a handle fixed to the upper surface thereof, an electromagnetic coil axially installed in the body case, a plunger axially slidably fitted in the inner surface of the electromagnetic coil and normally urge rearwardly by a spring, and a spindle fixed to the rear end of an engaging head for engagement with carpets and axially slidably fitted in the front end of the body case, the arrangement being such that upon energization of the electromagnetic coil the plunger is advanced to strike the rear end of the engaging head with its front end
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,660 discloses a power operated carpet stretcher comprising a frame having a bottom surface provided with prong members positioned and sized to grasp a carpet. A hook is slidably mounted on the frame to engage a slat fixed to the floor adjacent a wall edge. The hook is operatively connected to a power jack in such a manner that, upon actuation of the power jack, the frame is pulled toward the slat engaged by the hook thereby causing the carpet to be pulled by the prong members toward the adjacent wall edge. A method of installing a carpet with this stretcher is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,174 discloses a knee-less kicking tool for stretching a carpet. A base rests on the carpet. A head is attached to the base and engages and stretches the carpet when an apparatus for propelling the head is activated. The apparatus includes a pair of rods that extend across the base and a ram. The ram has a body that slides on the pair of rods. When the ram is slid forwardly on the pair of rods and impacts upon the base, the head is caused to move forward and stretch the carpet. The ram further has a handle that extends from the body thereof and is grabbed by the hand of a user and used to slide the ram forwardly, and a weight that extends upwardly from the body thereof and which increases the impact of the ram on the base when the ram is slid forwardly on the pair of rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,057 discloses a carpet-stretching device using a power-stretching adapter attached to a standard carpet kicker is provided. The stretching adapter is formed from a frame having an anchor plate attached to the front of the frame for anchoring the device between the wall and tack strip adjacent to the carpet edge to be stretched. A handle is provided which is pivotally attached along its lower portion to the back of the frame. A clamp is located at the bottom of the handle for attaching the handle to a standard carpet kicker adjacent to the head of the kicker, so that the head will be positioned between the anchor plate and the clamp. The device functions by placing the handle upright, placing the anchor between the wall and tack strip, engaging the carpet pile with the carpet kicker head, and pivoting the top of the handle down towards the knee pad of the carpet kicker, forcing the kicker head towards the anchor, thus stretching the carpet. A tucker assembly is also provided for forcing the stretched carpet into engagement with the tack strip.
There is a need however, for a device that employs the efficient and proven design of a standard knee driven carpet kicker, but reduces the violent force that is necessary for carpet installers to effectively install carpeting.